Playing the Wisher's Game
by CII
Summary: The Dragonballs are magical orbs capable of summoning the world’s most powerful, magical creature, the Eternal Dragon Shenron. But to Pilaf, they and the dragon are commodities to be sold, something Shenron wants to stop at all costs.
1. Blank Wish

I do not own Dragonball, just my own thoughts on it. All characters in Dragonball are being used differently in this story...there are no saiyans, no super powerful elite clique of fighters here to save the world. However, there is Shenron, and he is not happy by the fact he went from powerful dragon to a genie in the bottle, and this is his story. This is Dragonball of a Different Sort.

**The Blank Wish**

"Mai!" Reece Pilaf called. "Mai!"

"Yes, sir?" Mai asked as, walking towards the rather short man.

"Bring them here and bring the camera," said Pilaf.

"Yes, sir, Mr. Pilaf," said Mai kneeling down to lift up a silvery, metal, industrial briefcase. She sat the briefcase down on the boardroom, long, oak table and punched in a code on the keypad on the lock. Just as she entered the final digit, the briefcase opened up, revealing a chilled interior. Mist spewed out over the edges of the briefcase and out onto the table and then falling towards the floor. Inside the padded briefcase were seven golden, glowing balls, each one containing black stars that numbered from 1 to 7. The strange orbs were no bigger than softballs. Pilaf instructed that the balls be kept at a frozen temperature so not to alert the 'owner'. He knew that the monster, the one who when summoned through the balls to grant _any _wish desired, would want to prevent anyone from using them to get a wish granted. And this monster would go through every length to keep a wish from being made—even if that meant killing the human who found all seven Dragonballs.

"I don't like the idea of exposing them for such a long time, sir," said Mai. "You know what happened last time we did it. _He _destroyed Capsule Corp's branch office in Albany, New York."

"Then, the sooner you take those pictures for our client, the sooner we can close the lid!" Pilaf called.

Mai nodded and grabbed the camera, and held it up, taking several photos of the glowing, singing orbs in the briefcase. Pilaf moved towards the large window at the far end of the long boardroom, pulling back a curtain to look out at the inky night sky. A few lights of the city below shined through. Though he tried to keep a calm composure, he was sweating under his finely tailored suit.

The attack that Mai had stated before happened a few months ago when the last Dragonball was found. It was the 3-Star ball. Mai had brought the final ball to Pilaf in Albany, New York after tracking it down in London, England being sold as some sort of souvenir nick-knack. Hunting the Dragonballs was a good way to test out Capsule Corp's latest and most top-secret invention, the compact Dragon Radar.

In the 1980s, Capsule Corp had created the first Dragon Radar, a large computer system installed in a wall which spat out printer paper of coordinates where each of the Dragon Balls were. This information would be phoned in to those who Capsule Corp hired to search for them. This information sent to the Dragon Radar system from a network of satellites orbiting the equator and bouncing their signals off of the ion sphere of the Earth. But the compact system was as small as a blackberry and could be carried around in one hand by the various individuals who searched for them. Again, the satellite network fed the information into the handheld Dragon Radar. This made finding the Dragonballs much faster than the old fashioned way—which took perhaps a lifetime to find.

Then, the monster found out about the new system and he was enraged. He attacked the branch office building, but Mai was lucky to leave out of there with all seven Dragonballs. She discovered that the monster had a difficult time trying to sense the heat of the balls if they were held in a certain freezing temperature. And so, in order to move the Dragonballs around without detection, they had to chill them.

Mai had only seen the monster once in her life, but she could never forget the sight. He was big, he was red, and he had eyes that glowed like two burning coals. This monster was in fact a dragon, an Eastern Dragon. She was never one who believed in children's fairytales about dragons and other mythological creatures, so, she was skeptical when her boss Pilaf revealed to her the company's most treasured secret about the search for the Dragonballs. All of that changed when she saw her first dragon that night. And there was a reason why they were called the Dragonballs, because someone wanted a wish, they summoned Shenron, the Eternal Dragon, or as Mai called him: the 'Monster'. To her, Shenron was indeed a monster. Once he lost track of the Dragonballs, the enormous red-scaled, serpentine Eastern Dragon rose into the sky and flew away. The press and the government dismissed the incident as a terrorist attack. People who managed to see Shenron leave were so frightened they became emotionally and psychologically scarred for life. No one could make any sense out of any of the victims. Pilaf stated that Shenron, when attacking, would exude a magical aura that blanks out the minds of the witnesses. And he only flew at night. It was the perfect cover-up for the Eternal Dragon to continue to ride under the noses of the United State's government.

"There," she said. "I think that's enough. Our client will get the idea when he sees the Dragonballs."

"It may not be enough," said Pilaf. "He would think we're just showing off with some Hollywood special effects. He would need real proof that these balls are capable of granting any wish he wants."

"What are you saying?" asked Mai.

"I'm saying we should summon Shenron," he replied. "And you tape him rising out of the balls to grant some idiotic wish I want…like…a new toy for my daughter or something."

"I think having that 'Monster' grant such a wish would just enrage him even more and who knows what he'll do after the wish has been granted?"

"Don't tell me you're afraid of some scaly genie, Mai?" Pilaf said in a scoff.

"I'm scared of an 800-foot long dragon who could render me to ashes with a sneeze!" Mai said in a protest. "Besides, if you have a wish granted, we'll have to wait another year for the balls become active again before we can even hunt for them. I'll be digging in dirt, and I hate doing that!"

"Tough!" Pilaf called. "I don't pay you to bitch."

Mai crossed her arms and snorted back at her boss. Then, her worst fears came to life just as the building began to shake. The coffee pot along the far wall rattled itself over the table, and toppled onto the floor.

"Mai!" Pilaf called. "He's here! Quickly, get the balls out. We'll summon him and that'll stop him from trashing my building."

"Oh, no…" Mai said. "Have him tear a hole through the roof instead of ripping a hole through the side…that's smart!"

"We have to do something!" Pilaf shouted just as the building shook violently.

The two turned around just as a massive red claw slammed into the window. The walls came crumbling around and the hole grew bigger. Pilaf and Mai huddled together as the dust filled their vision. The sound of something massive taking hold of the ceiling and ripping it and the roof off made them crouch a bit lower. A bellowing roar sounded causing the floor to tremble as if it was afraid of the creature outside. Mai opened her eyes when a golden light filled the room. She looked up and the color drained from her face. There he was, the Eternal Dragon, peering down upon her and her boss. He was massive. His body was that of an Eastern Dragon, long and sinuous with four short but muscular arms and legs. Two large, ribbed, golden, branched horns grew out from the crown of his head. A mane of spun gold and fiery orange grew from his head down to the very tip of his tail. Two lengthy whiskers flapped in the wind. Shenron was covered in fiery red scales. Shenron's lengthy body was bathed in a golden light. His lip was curled up in a cruel snarl and his eyes narrowed at the two humans below him. Then, his eyes rolled over to the metallic brief case and the Dragonballs that had spilled out onto the debris on the carpet. Pilaf gathered up what little courage he had in his chest and stood up, fists balling.

"No!" he said to the Dragon. "You can't have them!"

"Mr. Pilaf…" Mai whispered. "Just give him the Dragonballs and he'll let us live!"

"I've worked too hard gathering them up for my client," said Pilaf. "I'm not loosing this business deal and no wish-granting gecko with a problem with his job status isn't going to get in my way!"

"Great…insult the Eternal Dragon…" Mai said.

Shenron shot a glance back at Pilaf and growled deeply in his throat, barring his fangs.

"**It was very clear to me why you terminated me…"** the Dragon said, his voice booming up over the sparking wires and crumbling ceiling tiles. **"You found out what I was after. It would have been easier for me to just walk in during nightly cleaning and toss the Dragonballs in a trash bag and walk out with them. And it would be much safer if I were still working here. But you wanted to play hardball, Rice Pilaf…"**

"That's Reece Pilaf!" Pilaf said.

"**Not from where I'm standing," **said Shenron. **"You look like a tasty side dish to me. You could have just let me have them and we wouldn't be here right now."**

"I won't let you have them now!"

"**I don't think you're in the position to argue," **Shenron said. A whisker rose up and its tip slowly hovered above the glowing orbs.

"No!" Pilaf said, running towards the balls. He was too late. As the tip touched one of the balls, all seven of them started glowing. They shot up into the sky and separated into seven streaks, dispersing into the night sky.

"No!" Pilaf shouted again. "No…"

Shenron slowly backed away from the ruined top floor of Pilaf's building: **"Until next time…farewell…"**

Pilaf fell to his knees just as the massive form of Shenron vanished.

"I didn't know he could do that," said Mai. "He—dismissed the Dragonballs as if we already made a wish."

"It's his trick in keeping someone from getting a wish granted," said Pilaf. "Well, that's it, we have to start over again within a year's time. And we'll loose this client too."

"Mr. Pilaf, it's not like we're loosing money because of it," said Mai. "Why can't you focus on something else? We're the leading company in electronics. We bought out Intel. We're getting close to buying out Microsoft."

"Because Shenron can grant the impossible," said Pilaf. "To anyone…"

"Then, why don't you just get your own wish granted instead of selling the balls?" said Mai.

"Because, I have—everything," he said, lowering his head.

"It doesn't seem like it," she said.

"It doesn't matter," said Pilaf. "This time, I'll make sure Shenron doesn't ruin my plans. We have a lot to do. We've got a year to upgrade the Dragon Radar. I want it better than the last one. Contact Dr. Bulma Winston. Have her get to work on a new one immediately!"

"Yes, sir."


	2. Fired Again

**Fired, Again**

_Some people say a man is made outta mud_

_A poor man's made outta muscle and blood_

_Muscle and blood and skin and bones_

_A mind that's a-weak and a back that's strong_

_You load sixteen tons, what do you get_

_Another day older and deeper in debt_

_Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go_

_I owe my soul to the company store_

_I was born one mornin' when the sun didn't shine_

_I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine_

_I loaded sixteen tons of number nine coal_

_And the straw boss said "Well, a-bless my soul"_

_You load sixteen tons, what do you get_

_Another day older and deeper in debt_

_Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go_

_I owe my soul to the company store_

_I was born one mornin', it was drizzlin' rain_

_Fightin' and trouble are my middle name_

_I was raised in the canebrake by an ol' mama lion_

_Cain't no-a high-toned woman make me walk the line_

_You load sixteen tons, what do you get_

_Another day older and deeper in debt_

_Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go_

_I owe my soul to the company store_

_If you see me comin', better step aside_

_A lotta men didn't, a lotta men died_

_One fist of iron, the other of steel_

_If the right one don't a-get you_

_Then the left one will_

_You load sixteen tons, what do you get_

_Another day older and deeper in debt_

_Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go_

_I owe my soul to the company store_

_By: Ernie Ford_

The sun was setting, but that could do nothing to stay off the heat. Sweat poured down their bodies as they heaved another pile of dirt into their wheel barrels. Their faces where weathered from the dry heat of the desert. One of them panted for a moment, pausing to wipe his brow with a dust-covered hand.

"Acosta!" called a voice from behind him. "Get back to work!"

"I'm over due for my break, sir," he said.

"Tough," said the foreman as he walked around. "We're loosing sunlight. I want you to keep clearing all this dirt out before the sun sets."

Ethan Acosta shook his sweat-soaked head and returned to his work. He was a lowly ditch-digger working at a construction site in the outskirts of Phoenix, Arizona. They were building the foundation for a new shopping mall. The construction company was calling for a lot of workers to do just menial tasks like shoveling dirt and such and Ethan was lucky to land this job. He acted like no one special, he went from job to job traveling across the American Southwest on an old beat-up 1971 BSA Thunderbolt he managed to fix up after buying it at a junkyard. It was a piece of junk, but it ran okay for its age. He barely had a past and he wanted to keep it that way. Roaming from town to town searching for work that was all he seemed to be good for. This was the life he wanted, well; at least he thought it was the life suited for him. But in actuality, he was running from something.

Ethan paused for a moment feeling a slight buzzing in his head. He could have sworn he heard a music chiming through the dirt. Taking one last shovel into the dirt, the tip of the spade struck something hard. Ethan dropped the rusty shovel and knelt down, clearing away the loose dirt with his hands. There, in the dirt was an orange, smooth, translucent ball with seven black stars inside of it. The ball flashed as he reached down to pick it up as if it was responding to his presence. Ethan lifted the ball up, brushing away the dirt from its perfect surface. He could see his reflection in the ball, rather the reflection of the past he was running from. There, staring back at him was not the face of a human but the face of a red-scaled Dragon. Like Ethan's own brow, the Dragon's brow was also arched in sadness for whatever misery it felt it fell into.

_Is it time already?_ He thought a chill of dread crept up his spine. He was tired, he did not want to run around all over the world again.

"Acosta!" shouted the foreman. "Why the hell have you stopped shoveling? This is the last straw, you lazy, good-for-nothing maggot!"

Ethan groaned as he lifted off the ground, turning around to face the bloated foreman walking over to him. He quickly hid the ball behind him.

"I saw that!" the foreman said. "What did you find, Acosta?"

"Nothing," said Ethan.

"Liar," said the foreman. "Hand it over."

"No," said Ethan as he backed away from the foreman.

"Whatever you find belongs to the company, now hand it over!"

"Just give it to him, Ethan," said a digger.

The foreman held out his hand and waited with a smug grin on his face for Ethan to give up the strange ball. Ethan sighed and gave in, placing it in the foreman's hand.

"That's it, boy," said the foreman. "Well, isn't this a sight?" He held the ball up to the orange glow of the setting sun. "And it glows too. Be a good boy and get back to work. That's all you're good for, dirt diggin'."

As the foreman walked away, Ethan gripped the handle of the shovel tightly. He hated being talked down to by lowly men like the foreman. With a sideward kick, he broke the shovel's handle in two.

"Uh, foreman," called one of the workers. "Acosta broke his shovel."

The foreman turned around and shook his head when he saw the broken shovel and Ethan looking at him with a heated gaze.

"That shovel's gonna be taken out of your pay, boy," he said.

"Don't call me boy," said Ethan. He ran for the foreman and swung his foot around, kicking the ball out of his hand. The foreman stepped back, gripping his hand, which became red from the kick.

"That's it, Acosta," said the foreman. "You're fired, and I should write you up on charges for assault too!"

Ethan turned around and held out his hand to the glowing ball and it lifted off the ground, floating gently into his palm. The foreman stared with confusion.

"What are you, a freak?" he asked.

Ethan then took off with the ball in his hand, heading for his Thunderbolt.

"Come back here!" the foreman called. "Somebody stop him!"

Ethan hopped over a sawhorse and knocked down a few barrels as he bolted through the construction site. He flung his helmet off, dropping it to the ground and kept his eyes on the escape. Guards at the site ran after him, trying desperately to keep up with his pace. But Ethan was just too light on his feet to catch. With one leap, he jumped the wire fence and tumbled onto the ground, kicking dust up as he went. Then, mounting on his bike, Ethan drove off, speeding down the road. He left the guards there panting for air.

The guards turned around to the foreman and shook their heads.

"He's gone, sir," one of the said.

"You want to press charges against him?" the other one asked.

"No," said the foreman. "Why should I bother? What could I get out of him? He has nothing. He's a dirt-poor bastard with no sense in his tiny brain. But I will have to file a report. Excuse me."

He parted from the guards and went into the portable office. Sitting down, the foreman called up his headquarters.

"Yes, this is James Tuffle," he said. "Yes, Mr. Pilaf, he _was_ here. Apparently, he found the one you were looking for and made off with it. No, Mr. Pilaf, I didn't stop him. He got on his bike and headed east. Well, you can go after him; I don't have time to do it. I don't care how much you'll pay me; I've got work to do. That boy's your problem, not mine even if he kicked me in the hand. Well, you got the upgrades, you can track him down. Good-bye."

With that, he slammed the phone down, hearing it ding as it hit the receiver.

"Not my problem at all," he said as he leaned back in his chair.

000

It was good to be out on the open road again. He never liked staying in one place for too long lest his past would catch up to him again. Ethan sensed there was a Dragonball at the site he worked at, but for the most part, he was too worn out from traveling to pinpoint where it was. But he was happy he managed to find one. Just one Dragonball, that was all he needed. One Dragonball would mean that it would be one less Dragonball Reece Pilaf, the CEO of Capsule Corp had in his possession. He sensed that Reece had yet to collect one, but at least this one would not be the start of the new collection. Having a Dragonball in his possession meant that Ethan would once more be the target of Capsule Corp's hit-men as well. So, he had to go on the run again. He was not worried about being the target of Capsule Corp because a year ago, it was the other way around.

I-40 was quiet this evening compared to what it usually is. Of course quiet meant only ten cars or more taking up each of the lanes and no space in between the cars. Ethan was able to weave himself in between the cars despite the little space. This maneuver garnered a few angry honks from some of the cars traveling. He did not care.

Behind him, the sun finally began to set, slowly dipping down below the rugged mountains behind him and casting a blood red glow across the arid landscape. He was free from the city's boundaries. Phoenix's city lights flickered off in the distance. Ethan took no notice to them. He was in his own little world, thinking about the future and fearing his past.

He traveled most of the night, stopping off in the middle of the road to take a nap before continuing on. Ethan was worn from his travels. He always wanted to settle down and call a place his new home and his new hometown. If he did not have such a rugged past, he would be able to do that.

Ethan paused that night as the full moon rose up high in the sky, turning the sand silver. The orange glow of the city still was visible over the horizon. Ethan looked up and held his breath. He could see the arching band of the Milky Way across the dome of the sky. Glistening diamonds twinkled in the inky blue-black. Though the light of the moon obscured much of the dim stars, Ethan was far enough away from the city light to see the shape of the band itself. He searched for various constellations that were of importance to him. Then, upon finding these constellations, Ethan sank down to the sand and wept. He felt ashamed again kneeling before the stars themselves in piety.

Ethan glanced down and pulled out the golden and orange, glowing Dragonball from his hidden pocket in his leather jacket. Despite the light emanating from the orb, through the glow of the moon, he could still see the image inside the Dragonball. The red-scaled Eastern Dragon stared back at him through the surface of the orb. Ethan wanted to toss the ball away and just forget about it. It was the image he hated. It was his own reflection. It seemed like ages when he was free, when he could do whatever he wanted, be whatever he wanted. Now, the only thing he could be was a fugitive on the run. Why did he have to run?

Ethan sighed as he tucked the Dragonball back into its hiding place. He wiped his eyes from the tears he cried.

"That's one," he said. "Only one. I just need only one and it'll be one less Dragonball in Pilaf's hands. He won't get what he wants and neither will anyone else. At least that much I have control of."

With that, he mounted his bike and took off, heading back for the interstate again. Now that he lost his job, he did not know what to do. Ethan thought about a few times resorting to common thievery just to get by. After all, he did have some peculiar gifts he could use to his advantage. However, that noble side of him spoke out, reminding him how wrong that was. So, it was back on the road and hopefully to a job that he will not get fired at this time.

Ethan concentrated on the road. Something was leading him east. He knew that if he found another Dragonball, he might steal that instead. Then, he would have two. He could sense the energy of the second Dragonball in that direction. Collateral, that was what he was thinking of.


End file.
